Souvenir by Stephen Temperley

For more than seventy years, the name of Florence Foster Jenkins has been synonymous with unintended comedy for fans of classical singing. Her recordings of out-of-tune and mumbled songs were passed from one music lover to another as an example of the worst singing that recorded history had to offer. Most amazingly, Florence had no idea that she was terrible.

Stephen Temperley details Florence’s rise to “fame” in this hilarious and touching two-person play with incidental music. Told from the point of view of Florence’s long-suffering pianist, Cosmé McMoon, Souvenir delves into the long relationship between pianist and singer and reveals how true beauty can come from the least beautiful of singing voices.